Diazepam - Medsafe

1 NEW ZEALAND CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION Arrow - Diazepam Diazepam 2mg and 5mg tablets What is in this leaflet This leaflet answers some common questions about ARROW - Diazepam . It does not contain all of the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have benefits and risks. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking ARROW - Diazepam against the benefits they expect it will have for you. If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Keep this leaflet with your medicine. You may need to read it again. What ARROW - Diazepam is used for ARROW - Diazepam contains Diazepam .

2 It belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. These medicines are thought to work by their actions on brain chemicals. ARROW - Diazepam is a sedative, muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant, used for the following conditions: severe anxiety, occurring alone or related to insomnia or mental illness tension headaches and migraine attacks where anxiety is the cause or aggravating factor symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, such as trembling, confusion or anxiety muscle spasm, including spasms of tetanus or cerebral spasticity (selected cases) some types of epilepsy premedication night terrors and sleep-walking, especially in children.

3 Like other benzodiazepines, ARROW - Diazepam is not recommended as the sole treatment of severe mental illnesses and should not be used alone to treat depression. Your doctor may have prescribed ARROW - Diazepam for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why ARROW - Diazepam has been prescribed for you. ARROW - Diazepam is not recommended in children less than 6 months old. In general, benzodiazepines should be taken for short periods only (around 2 to 4 weeks). Continuous long-term use is not recommended unless advised by your doctor. The use of benzodiazepines may lead to dependence of the medicine. ARROW - Diazepam is available only with a doctor's prescription.

4 Before you take ARROW - Diazepam When you must not take it Do NOT take ARROW - Diazepam if: You are allergic to Diazepam or any of the other ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; rash, itching or hives on the skin. You have severe and chronic lung disease including asthma You have myasthenia gravis You or your child have attention deficit disorder (ADD) You or your child have problems swallowing You have an acute closed-angle glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye) Do not use ARROW - Diazepam if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant or if you are breastfeeding.

5 Do not use ARROW - Diazepam if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. Do not use ARROW - Diazepam after the expiry (EXP) printed on the pack. Before you take it Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives. Tell your doctor if you have or have suffered from any of the following medical conditions: anxiety, depression or psychosis suicidal tendencies kidney or liver problems any lung or breathing problems drug or alcohol dependence Your doctor may want to take special care if you have any of these conditions. Taking other medicines If you are taking any other medicines, including any you get without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop, tell your doctor or pharmacist.

6 Some medicines may interfere with how well ARROW - Diazepam works. These include: sleeping tablets, sedatives or tranquilisers medicines to treat depression or mental illness strong pain-relievers medicines to treat reflux or ulcers, such as antacids and cimetidine medicines to treat epilepsy (fits and convulsions), such as carbamazepine certain oral contraceptives (containing oestrogen) disulfiram, a medicine used in alcohol abuse some medicines used to treat Parkinson's disease, levodopa some treatments for tuberculosis, such as rifampin and isoniazid zidovudine, to treat HIV virus These medicines may be affected by ARROW - Diazepam or may affect how well ARROW - Diazepam works.

7 You may need different amounts of your medicines or you may need to take a different medicine. Your doctor can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines. If you are not sure whether you are taking any of these medicines, check with your doctor or pharmacist. Your doctor or pharmacist has more information on these medicines, and on other medicines that you need to be careful with, or avoid while taking ARROW - Diazepam . How to take ARROW - Diazepam properly How much to take Your doctor will tell you how much ARROW - Diazepam you need to take each day. It is important that you take ARROW - Diazepam only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more than the recommended dose.

8 The dose of ARROW - Diazepam varies from patient to patient and will depend on your age, and the condition you are being treated for. Your doctor will prescribe the lowest dose that can control your symptoms. For adults, the daily dose of ARROW - Diazepam can vary between 2mg and 60mg daily, given in divided doses. Elderly patients and patients with kidney or liver problems can be more susceptible to the risk of side effects and therefore lower dosages are generally recommended. Swallow the tablets whole with a glass off water. The tablets may be taken with or without food. If you do not understand the instructions printed on the label, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help.

9 How long to take it Take ARROW - Diazepam only for as long as your doctor recommends. ARROW - Diazepam should only be taken for short periods of time (2-4 weeks) and at the lowest dose that can control your symptoms. Continuous long-term use is not recommended, unless advised by your doctor. The use of ARROW - Diazepam may lead to dependence of the medicine. Development of dependence is common with regular use of benzodiazepines. Abrupt discontinuation may lead to withdrawal symptoms. Discuss with your doctor a discontinuation schedule (tapering of your dosage) when you are to stop the medicine. Withdrawal symptoms include the following effects: anxiety depression impaired concentration insomnia headache dizziness ringing in the ears loss of appetite tremor (shaking) perspiration irritability abnormal taste nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps feeling faint when standing up Do not be alarmed by this list, as if you taper your dosage as instructed by your doctor you will probably not suffer from any of these effects.

10 If you forget a dose Do not take more than one dose at a time to make up for missed doses. If you forget a dose, just take the next dose when it is due. Taking your medicine at the same time each day may help you to remember to take it regularly. While you are taking ARROW - Diazepam It is important that you take ARROW - Diazepam exactly as prescribed. Taking more than the prescribed amount of ARROW - Diazepam can increase the chance of developing unwanted side effects. Things you must do Before starting any new medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are taking ARROW - Diazepam . Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking ARROW - Diazepam .